The raceway assembly of this invention is particularly advantageous in arranging for electrical and/or communications connection at selected positions along the raceway. The raceway is normally mounted either as an in-laid unit or along an exposed surface of exterior or interior panels, walls, ceilings or floors of structures such as buildings, mobile homes, airplanes, vans or other units having requirements for electrical and communications conductors in an integrated raceway assembly. Specifically, however, it is contemplated that primary use of the raceway assembly of this invention will be as a surface mounted unit on an interior wall such as along its base board, chair rail or cove molding adjacent a ceiling and would include outlets for both power and communications conductors permitting maximum efficiency in installation as well as ready modification to effect subsequent changeover to meet different power and communications requirements.
Facing ever evolving design criteria, particularly in commercial and residential installations, whether new or renovated, the cost factor, particularly the labor costs of tradesmen involved, has presented a demand for minimal changes in traditional framing methods. The former practice of installing ducts or raceways within specially recessed channels in a wall, e.g., does not permit ready changeover of an existing structure into which power conductors are laid or drawn and onto which power outlets are attached to provide a distributed electrical power system or for the supply of cables or wiring for telecommunications, fiber optics, signal, control or data communications systems herein referred to collectively as communications systems. Another factor has become increasingly important in certain of the different applications to which such raceways have been conventionally used. This factor concerns discouraging tampering and minimizing ill-advised or undesired removal of a raceway cover from its base.